Going His Own Way
by Taken Kings
Summary: Inspired by Shadowlight0982's Jaune of Hearts. Jaune is tired. Tired of being a joke, tired of being scorned, tired of being third rate. Pyrrha saying that the Keyblade was always for her was the final straw. Watch as Jaune carves his own path, showing all his true worth without the Keyblade.
1. Pre-Chapter 1

**(Play: Don't Think Twice)**

"There can't be two Keyblade Masters Jaune." Pyrrha held her right hand out slowly, then a Keyblade, my Keyblade, appeared in her grasp as soon as it had left mine.

"Wait? What! Ho-?"

"The Keyblade never really chose you," Pyrrha interrupted me while examining her new weapon with an appraising eye. "It used you as a messenger to get to me. Not too surprising, especially after what happened to our world." A short snort escaped from Weiss at that as Pyrrha turned her back to us.

"Your job is done Jaune." A short clang brought my attention back from the dark pit of depressing thoughts that'd been forming since Remnant had been taken a year ago. I looked up to see Crocea Mors laying at my feet.

"Why don't you go back to playing knight Jaune? I'd hate to see you get hurt trying to help Ruby." Without another word, Pyrrha left me. Weiss followed after her towards the huge castle in the distance, Hollow Bastion.

"Come on Yang," the heiress waved at Yang to come with her.

"You remember what Ozpin said about sticking with the Key. Besides," she sent me a scathing look before turning her back to me.

"Without that weapon, or us, this _Cheater_ wouldn't have made it this far. Ruby's waiting for us." The blonde berserker gave me a blank look before following her fellow teammate.

"Stay away from my sister," Yang shoulder checked me, sending me to the ground, as she followed her teammate. "Or else."

At the time, I didn't know what to think. The only thing that stuck out at that moment, was that I am alone. Despite all of the craziness we've been through this past year, they left me. They abandoned me as soon as a better option appeared.

"It's so funny, that it hurts," I chuckled weakly, the tears in my eyes refusing to stop trickling down my face. "Why should I have expected anything different to have happened?"

 ** _GROWL_**

I was brought out of my pity session by a large humanoid beast getting back up, or, at least trying to.

"Wait a second there," I scrambled for a moment to help him up as he struggled to stay standing. "You should really rest, she did quiet a number on you."

"I can't stop now. Bell is up there. She's waiting for me." Getting off of my shoulder, the Beast limped forward toward the castle, resolve evident with every step he took.

I picked apart what he said for a minute in my head, wondering why should any of it should matter. Until-

 ** _Don't lose sight of your light_**

 ** _Keep growing stronger Jaune_**

 ** _Excellent work as always young man_**

 ** _You still have a lot to learn before becoming a true hero, just like I did_**

I can't stop now, I gritted my teeth before punching the ground and picking up my family's old blade.

"I have someone waiting for me too. Let's not keeping them waiting." I walked alongside him towards the entrance to Hollow Bastion.

"Hang on Ruby. I still need to tell you something."

 **(End Song)**

...

 _It was difficult._

 **SMASH!**

 _Fighting the Heartless with a normal weapon_.

"Now! BEAST!" I sent the last Heartless sprawling through the air with Crocea Mors as Beast got into position.

"GET OUT!" With an immense burst of magic, Beast finished off the last enemy in the area.

 _But not impossible, if you're creative enough._

As soon as Beast left to scout ahead for anymore surprises left by the Heartless, a figure in black came into view from around the corner. Keeping a firm hand on my sword, I waited for the stranger to make a move.

"So, you must be Jaune. Correct?" Cautious as to what the man wanted from me, I gave him a quick nod.

"I'm Jaune. Why are you looking for me?" Almost too quick for me to follow, the hooded man tossed me a small package.

"I know what's going on in your head. The despair, the hate, and all of that animosity. Surprisingly, I went through the same thing." After undoing some of the wrappings, I mustered up all of my rage as I gave him my best glare for giving me, _that._

"Why. Are. You. Here?" I grunted out as the picture dropped out of my hands, shattering as it hit the floor. In response, the man took of his hood and stared right into my eyes.

"To remind you-"

"Finally. We're here." I shook off the brief encounter as I took out a potion. Beast and I were taking a quick break before advancing into the castle proper. The constant skirmishes quickly took a toll on us, but we prevailed in our goal to unlock the door barring us from opening and entering the gates.

"You good to keep going?" I finished applying the potion before standing up, my weapon ready for the next round.

"Yes."

...

"BELL!" Beast chased after the young woman before it transformed into a Shadow.

"Wait! Beast!" The doors slammed shut, separating us for the moment.

 **(Play: Face My Fears)**

"Well. Isn't this a surprise." I whirled around to face a familiar red head and my _former_ allies. A disappointed look was present on my _former_ partner's face.

"You shouldn't have followed us Jaune. It isn't safe for you to be here." I clenched my fist tightly around my blade's grip in frustration.

They're looking down on me, the same as always.

Then, I heard a voice. _His_ voice.

 ** _Then show them the truth_**

"Go-"

"Like you care," my firm voice cut through whatever bullshit Pyrrha was about to spew in an instant.

"None of you ever cared, and I'm done with playing second fiddle. That blade didn't make me. That blade didn't validate my existence. That blade didn't get me here. I did that." I let Crocea Mors hit the floor, and held my now empty hand up, a glare present for all of those who left me behind, alone in the dark.

"And seeing as how you never cared for it, why don't I show you what you've been missing." In a flash of dark light, a blade that looked more like a demon's wing appeared in my hand.

"THUNDAGA!" Lightning descended from above like a rainstorm, driving my former comrades to scatter, as a single black wing sprouted from my shoulder.

"Let me show you, my true strength."

I need to tell you goodbye Ruby.

Because I'm not coming back.

"Witness...Oblivion."

 **AN: Less than five days left**

 **1/20/20: I've been very busy with work for awhile now and have been meaning to update and smooth over some of my work. It'll be a bit before I'm done with it all, but it's all worth it. See you soon.**


	2. Pre-Chapter 2

**(Play: Simple and Clean- Ray of Hope MIX; KH 2.8 Opening Version)**

As my former friends readied themselves for the fight of their lives, I couldn't help but think back.

 _Don't lose sight of your light_

Think back to those who actually helped me become strong.

...

 **(3rd Person)**

"Ha...ha...haaaa."

In a bright open lot surrounded by empty stands and four pillars of stone, Jaune Arc was sprawled out on the ground of the Olympus Colosseum, desperately trying to regain his breath. His, "teacher," stood across the ring, his eyes closed and arms folded in.

"Again," Cloud Strife said stoically. For a moment, it looked like Jaune didn't hear him, but soon, he slowly crawled onto all fours before wobbly standing straight. A brief green aura surrounded him before disappearing.

"Thanks again for this Cloud," the now healed Jaune replied before readying himself again for his teacher's instruction.

"Don't know why you're thanking me," a small smirk appeared before leaving his face. "You're still my punching bag right now." Jaune just smiled while bringing the Kingdom Key up into a one handed stance.

"A punching bag that can properly dodge now!" Cloud brought the Buster Sword down as Jaune slipped by with barely a moment to spare.

...

"STAND STILL!" Yang was savage with her strikes as she attempted to land a blow on her fellow student. Jaune, however, was weaving around Yang's punches while dealing punishing blows of his own. Only, instead of using his new blade, he was engaging in unarmed combat utilizing claw motions and punches enhanced by either lightning or fire magic.

"Why aren't you helping her out Weiss?" Pyrrha was about to join the buxom boxer for another clash, but turned to their magic supporter first.

"Because they're too close." The heiress was red in the face as she observed the two former friends continue to engage in unarmed combat. "While fighting the Heartless, I had to pick my moments with using spells due to their difference with my glyphs. At first I would just charge in with Yang to back me up, as Jaune pitched in when he could. But with the ever increasing powerful Heartless, I had to start using equally powerful magic, however-"

Yang screeched before she exploded into movement, furiously assaulting Jaune with red eyes and her enhanced strength. Yet, he still managed to evade her attacks by twirling and making grotesque movements.

"-but you didn't have enough control to evoid damaging allies." Pyrrha rubbed her eyes before sighing to Weiss's embarrassment.

"Reflectga," Jaune wasn't even sweating once he sent Yang flying into a wall, down for the count because of her own power. Stabbing his blade into the ground, he disappeared from their sight momentarily.

"SHOWTIME!" The duo barely rolled out of the path of Jaune's opening salvo of magic as he reappeared. Only now he was dancing manically while wearing a black suit and tiny black demon wings coming out from his back, all the while causing explosions of magic to erupt around him with each step.

"When did you get this strong Jaune!? Especially without me!" Pyrrha started to engage her former leader as he continued to put on a frightening performance, leaving Weiss unable to do anything but tend to Yang.

...

"Please teach me."

All was silent in Dr. Fenklestein's lab as the good doctor continued on his latest project for Holloween Town, ignoring the conversation between Jaune and the King of Frights, Jack Skellington.

"Uh, but why?" the Pumpkin King tapped his skull for a moment in confusion. "Don't your friends help you already with that kind of thing? I'm more of a preformer than a teacher after all." Jaune's gaze turned to the floor for a moment, fists clenched tightly shut as he remembered their response to his actions at Beacon.

"They've made their stance clear on a certain subject that's made things, difficult, to say the least." Jack frowned as the skeleton patted Jaune on the shoulder.

"I hope things get cleared up between you three soon. It's a long and tough road you're going through, but it'll be worse without friends by your side." Jaune gave the walking bone man a small smile for his words.

"Thank you Jack."

For believing I can do it.

...

The two former partners fought each other with a ferocity of swordplay that would never be worthy of being called a "Blade Work." Parries led to clashes, clashes led to swipes, swipes led to hacks, etc. Not a single move was wasted in this furious exchange.

"FIRE!" Cleaving downwards with the Keyblade one handed, Pyrrha used the other to blast Jaune at point blank range. Which he countered with a quick application of ice magic.

 **(Song End)**

"That's enough." The two fighters backed away from the other as a wall of green flame separated the room in half. Jaune turned around to meet the gaze of a woman in a black robe with horns on her head.

"Thank you for that," he dismissed his blade for the moment before downing an elixir. As he did so, his black wing disappeared as well "Unfortunately, I'm sad to say that without the Keyblade, my control is a bit off with my Magic. Who are you by the way Miss?"

A brief smile graced her face before his host turned around to walk through the open door leading deeper into Hollow Bastion.

"You may call me, Maleficent. Now, what brings you all the way to my castle, Jaune Arc?"

 **AN: Thanks everyone for liking this story so quickly. May your hearts be your guiding keys.**

 **1/20/20: Still smoothing over bits and pieces that crop up here and there as I go. Later**


	3. Pre-Chapter 3

"Maleficient, why did you help me back there?" Jaune was escourting the dark fairy through the castle, noting how various Heartless would stop to kneel before resuming patrol of the halls as they went by. Their final destination was known only to Maleficient as they grew further and further away from Jaune's former classmates.

"No-not that I'm ungrateful for the help or anything!" he sputtered at the sight of her raising a single brow in question. "I am only curious as to why you defended me." She chuckled slightly before smirking.

"Here, in my castle, you are my intriguing guest. Your former partner-," Jaune stayed passive at the mention of Pyrrha. "-was a guest who had overstayed her welcome."

"As my host then, I, again, thank you." The fairy's smile turned gentle for a moment before fading away as someone coughed behind them.

"When are we going to get to Bell?" Beast looked around, anxious with the numerous Heartless making their rounds.

Two had come upon Beast struggling to pry open the doors back into the main entrance from the library minutes after having left Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha to their own devices. Maleficient gestured for two armored Heartless to come forward and then addressed Beast.

"I need for you to go to the barracks and bring me back that utter imbecile, Pete, before he gets eaten by my raven. These two will accompany you there and back to me once you have him-," Beast looked like he was about to start shouting. "-where I will be waiting with the Princesses of Heart, of which Bell is a member of," she stared at Beast as he struggled to calm down.

"Please do it Beast," Jaune gave the transformed man a tired smile. "You've made it this far, what's a few more minutes?"

After a moment, Beast silently followed the Heartless, leaving Jaune alone to proceed forward with current ruler of Hollow Bastion.

...

"So, what's wrong with her?" Jaune eyed Ruby's unconscious form while his host examined an incomplete doorway of clashing colors.

Maleficient had led Jaune to where the Princesses of Heart slept, waiting to fulfill their, "purpose." Jaune had no idea as to why they had been collected here, but saw no real point in needing to know the reason.

"The day your world was taken by the Heartless, Ruby lost her heart, as well as keeping this Keyhole from appearing too." Jaune stayed still, his face blank as he listened to the fairy.

"Until she regains it, she'll remain this way, and I won't be able to acquire what I desire from this world."

"What do you want?"

All was quiet for the moment, silent, except for the clicking of Maleficient's heels as she walked away from the Keyhole. Jaune followed after her until she stopped by one of the unconscious Princesses. She was blond, wore a violet dress, and looked no older than Jaune himself.

"Her name is Aurora. She was the Princess of a kingdom I had despised for a long time. Her father," she stopped for a moment, as if unsure what to say. "-he left her in the care of three, useless, pixies to raise her in his stead while he went insane from preventing a horrible fate from happening to her. _A fate I had caused..._ "

Jaune looked back to see Maleficient was biting her lip. His expression became less blank as he silently observed the lone tear trailing down her face. The fairy became startled when she felt the young man's hand slide into hers.

 **(Play: Final Fantasy XV: Somnus Extended)**

Maleficient glanced up to see Jaune looking back at her. This was the only time anyone has ever seen him look like this. His eyes weren't blank, or dead to the world, but they weren't full of emotion either. They were sad, melancholic, and tired. Almost as tired as the solemn, smile on his face. When their eyes met, there wasn't a need to say anything.

 _They simply knew_

As one, they turned to face the sleeping girl stuck in her crystal pod, their minds finally at ease for a moment in this chaotic mess that they'd been pulled into once the Heartless stepped foot into their lives.

For the moment, they weren't jaded and wrathful.

For the moment, they weren't cynical and sharp.

For the moment, they weren't empty and dissatisfied with life.

For the next few minutes of peace, they were just a man and a woman, taking comfort in the knowledge that they weren't alone.

...

"To remind you that whatever may come, it's up to you to get to where you wanna go." A face that was his, but not his appeared under that hood. He had a dark tan, eyes the color of blood, and ink black hair. Despite these differences, Jaune would've recognized this man's face anywhere.

For it was his own.

"Remember, Jaune," the older teen turned away before pulling his hood back up.

"ALL world's share the same sky. One sky-"

...

"-one destiny." Jaune whispered to himself, contemplating what to say.

Beast had returned with a big, roundish dog-like creature that he could only assume was Pete after he and Maleficient had finished doing... whatever it was they had done. Jaune shook his head to stop thinking about that for the moment, and concentrated.

"Hey, Ruby. I'm sorry I took so long getting here. Would you have believed me if I said your sister had problems trying to drive our ride?" A rueful smile laid on his face as Jaune knelt by his friend's sleeping body.

...

"Impossible!" Maleficient snarled before continuing to limp away from her audience chamber.

Despite the increased patrols, immense concentration of Heartless, and complexity of how the castle worked, Pyrrha and her company had managed to fight their way to her. To add insult to injury, they were able to damage her badly in spite of the fact that Jaune told her what they could do, and how they behaved in battle.

...

"Regardless of Yang's inadequate piloting skills with the gummy ship, I came here because I had to tell you something. Sure, you may not be able to respond, or hear me, but I still need to say it."

...

"The King's lackies had to have been why," she grumbled as the dark fairy continued to limp away from her adversaries only to stop as a Corridor opened before her.

"While a good host should comfort their guests, I would be a bad guest I didn't assist my host." Jaune imply smiled before helping Maleficient to the Corridor.

"Stop right there!" a, weirdish, voice shouted.

Jaune glanced back to find an anthropic duck and dog charging forward across the empty space with Weiss, Yang, and Pyrrha not too far behind them.

" **VOMIT BOY!** "

Jaune rolled his eyes before snapping his fingers. Countless Neoshadows sprang into existence before engaging Pyrrha and company. Buying more than enough time for Jaune and Maleficient to leave via the Corridor before disappearing themselves, as per instruction.

...

"I have been tired for a long time. Tired with my family not helping me train. Tired with my sad excuse of a love life. Tired with never making it at Beacon. I'm just... tired. But you helped me feel like I had worth, a lot more than Pyrrha ever did."

...

"Why are you telling me to leave my own castle, Jaune?!"

"Because this has gotten too far out of either of our control. Also, _he_ is here." Maleficient stopped shouting for a moment, then glared at the ground, willing for it to combust.

Pete glanced between the two of them before staring worriedly at the barred doors keeping Pyrrha and the others away from the Princesses for the time being in worry.

"I have one last thing to do while I'm here, same with Beast. However, you still need to be around for when Aurora wakes up when this is all over, my benevolent host." Jaune teased half-heartedly.

...

"Despite this, I need to tell you goodbye, Ruby. I've been here for too long. It's time for me to take this next step on my journey, alone." Sitting down in the middle of the platform before the Keyhole and away from Ruby, Jaune closed his eyes.

"I know you are here."

"..."

"I know what you want with me, and I have a deal for you, Ansem."

"Well now, what do you want then, Mr. Arc?" A deep voice came from behind Jaune.

"To give my final regards, and leave the past behind me for good."

...

"Ruby!" Pyrrha raced to her friend's motionless body before the incomplete Keyhole, ignorant of the fact that a barrier had come up, separating her off from Goofy and Weiss.

"Come on! Why won't your eyes open sis! I'm right here before you, so please open your eyes!"

"She won't wake. No matter what you do," an empty voice startled them from behind.

Pyrrha sharply turned around to find Jaune sitting atop the doorway, wearing jeans and an unbuttoned black overcoat with nothing underneath. Before she could sputter a response, Jaune continued speaking, a blank look present on his face.

"The door will remain closed as long as the final Princess of Heart still sleeps." Jaune dropped from his purchase not even a second later.

"Hold on a second Vomit Boy! How in the Hell is Ruby a princess?" Yang's hair was already alight, but her eyes weren't red yet.

"I've learned all that I need to know here. Especially, about what comes next." Putting the pieces together, Pyrrha readied her Keyblade.

"Give them back their hearts, whoever you are!" Jaune only tsked before chuckling a bit.

"Don't worry too much, Ms. Nikos. The final Princess will awaken, but first-" he quickly casted Reflect, causing Yang to bounce off and crash on the other side of the barrier. "-you and I have a score to settle, Pyrrha Nikos." Then, effortlessly, he pushed Donald away causing the duck to crash into Yang as Beast appeared, engaging Pyrrha's friends alongside various Heartless on the other side of the barrier with a roar.

"This-," a black wing sprouted out of his shoulder while he summoned his blade. "-is where we part ways, my, **_partner_**." Jaune glared at her with his blue eyes before their blades started to clash.

 **AN: Hope you people are enjoying yourselves with this and KH3. Also yes, this Maleficient is kinda more like her Angelina movie counterpart than her cartoon self. Well until next time, may our hearts be our guiding keys.**

 **1/20/20: Cleaning up more and more**


	4. Pre-Chapter 4

**AN: And so we have part 1 of the 2 part ending of Going His Own Way 0.9. Enjoy the start to many twists and turns regarding the multiverse.**

 **And the final twist for the prologue, will be revealed at the end**

 **(Play: Gehrman's Theme "Epic Rock" Cover Little V)**

Despite the heavy sounds of combat occurring not even five feet away from the two, all appeared silent for a brief second.

"This, is where we part ways, my, partner."

Then, blade met blade in an intense flurry of flashes as former student fought former teacher, and yet-

"I know you aren't-ugh! Jaune!" Pyrrha backstepped quickly to avoid a piercing strike, before casting Fira to gain a moment to heal.

"Why do you believe such, Ms. Nikos?" Rolling through her spell, her adversary stopped for a moment, content with having this brief conversation as if it were completely normal.

-their forms in swordplay couldn't be anymore different from the other. While one was swift, brutal, and patient with their strikes, the other was merciless, surgical, and never wasting a single movement to deliver the next blow.

"I never taught him those stances, or forms," she began, using the brief reprieve to finish healing and prepare herself for the next exchange.

"You don't believe that I could have, you know, changed and adapt my style as I traveled?" He tsked at her narrow mindedness before a huge ball of dark matter came into being above the area. A merciless smirk crossed his blank features for a split second, sending a shiver down the red head's spine before saying a single word.

"Drift."

Having lost gravity's favor, Pyrrha struggled to escape the spell's grasp, hoping to avoid the worst of the damage. Which turned out to be tougher than expected due to Jaune combining zero graviga with magnera. The added mix of direction provided a variety of debris that constantly pelted the Invincible Girl. Feeling completly helpless, she used her semblance to chunk some of the debris back at Jaune.

"Reduced to throwing pebbles I see," the teen muttered, not rattled in the slightest as he batted away whatever scrap metal came his way. "Disperse then."

With the blink of an eye, gravity stabilized, leaving Pyrrha to roll away from the falling debris before sending more objects flyingJaune's way.

"'THUNDER!'" Having been dealt too much damage to properly handle, the barrier broke into pieces, allowing Pyrrha's comrades to join her. Jaune briefly looked back at the empty entrance, before a small smile appeared on his face.

 **(End music)**

"Under orders from King Mickey, you are under arrest Ansem!" Donald held his staff up, ready to fight if "Ansem" didn't comply.

"Ha. This has to be the most amusing situation I've ever been placed in. Easily topping anything Nora has tried to pull. It's almost a pity," the blond teen shook his head ruefully before turning his back to them.

"Stop talking as if we're friends! Now give Ruby and Jaune back to us Ansem!" Pyrrha looked furiously at the swordfighter, despite the damage she suffered in her 2nd clash with him.

 **(Play Persona 5: Willpower Extended)**

"You're right about one thing, Ms. Nikos." Everyone struggled to stay standing as the whole room shook. Everyone except, "Ansem," of course.

...

"Why do you continue to come here? Especially knowing that you can't win."

Jaune was sprawled out across the Colosseum's darkened floor, suffering under his 70th straight lose and the beating that'd been dealt by the silver haired man before him. The man was dressed all in black, his hair was as long as, if not longer than, Yang's and he wielded one, long, blade.

Not to mention the single black wing sprouting from out of his back.

"I know," Jaune muttered, breathing back under his control as he struggled to get back up on his feet. The man watched him with impassive eyes as the teenager got himself back onto his feet.

"I ...came here, over and over again, because you're ...strong. I need to ... be stronger than I am now. So please-" Jaune paused to look the silver haired man in the eyes. "HOLD NOTHING BACK SEOHIROTH!"

All was silent, deathly silent, until a simple laugh was heard.

"Marvelous. Well said," the one winged Angel raised his sword with a single hand before advancing forward.

"Fine. Now, show me your true strength."

...

"Bare witness, to a glimpse of the truth," he whispered, the whole world growing brighter and brighter immediately after the shakes stopped.

"What's with all the light Donald?!"

"I don't know Goofy!"

"This is your proof," "Ansem" startled everyone back into combat readiness by the comment.

"Proof? What proof!" Ignoring Weiss, the teen quickly slashed with his sword as he moved all around the room at the speed of light. Once he returned to his initial position, the blade was dismissed.

"THIS IS THE TRUTH!" Reality shattered all around them like glass, revealing the space that separates worlds. They all tried to rush him, but it was as if they were stuck in place. The teen merely tsked before raising a single finger towards the heavens.

"This is what I, Jaune, formerly Arc, can do! Witness-!" a small triumphant smile decorated their former friend's face briefly. Then, it became resolute and blank once more.

"Super. Nova."

All everyone saw was the sun exploding, then everything faded to white.

 **(Song End)**

...

"Know that I was taking it easy on you guys." Pyrrha woke up to find her whole crew burnt and bloody. Most importantly however, they were all still alive.

"Honestly, that weak copy is a massive waste on my magic. If I truly wanted to end things, then I'd have resorted to using this." To everyone's growing shock, a Keyblade came into being.

"How? Bu-no. This i-" Jaune laughed at the dumb struck expressions on his former friends' faces.

"Yes, a Keyblade. However, this one is a lot more, unique, as it were. Allow me to demonstrate- Is what I would have liked to say if there had been enough time to care about that." This whole time, Jaune's body had been shimmering with a white aura, but it looked like he was disappearing.

"No tears or goodbyes? Not like you would care anyway," a hollow smile was present on his face as he continued to fade away.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Jaune was still smiling serenely as Donald Duck finally blew a gasket.

"Insane magic, but no darkness or Ansem! A sword fighter who has no desire to live! A Keyblade wielder who's too reckless! And the fact that we had to chase a crow across worlds in order to get our King's letter! Someone just explain everything!"

"Hahahahahah!" Donald stopped mid rant as Jaune continued to laugh. He laughed and laughed without a care as he was sent dirty glares from Weiss and Yang.

"Oh, that is so just my luck!" Jaune had a real smile on his face now, but everything was crashing down as Pyrrha saw it all.

 **(Play: Kingdom Hearts 2 Sanctuary)**

Jaune was tired.

The tears running down his cheeks.

The bags under his melancholic eyes.

Even the laughter itself was more self-deprecating than full of mirth.

It all made a crystal clear image that Pyrrha couldn't avoid anymore.

Jaune was tired of everything, and she helped in making him this way.

"Donald. Goofy. If only it were you two that had found me in Traverse Town instead of Ms. Schnee and Xiao Long. Maybe, everything would've turned out better. Now-"

"You shouldn't be giving up so soon, Mr. Arc." The weakness disappeared quickly from his form as Jaune raised his Keyblade against the surprise newcomer.

"You shouldn't have come, _Headmaster_ ," he spat out with such venom it left everybody feeling scathed. However, Ozpin just stood there before them all, cane in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other.

"You were one of the best students I've ever admitted to my school, even with your false records." Jaune's grip on the blade tightened. "It's not too late to come back Ja-"

"Shut up you damn wizard!" Ozpin stopped in surprise immediately at his wayward student's exclamation, worry starting in seep in.

"A little birdie told me all I needed to know about Remnant, Salem, and _you_ ," Jaune's wing disappeared completely as he brought the dark Keyblade to bare. "You should be nothing but dust in the wind by now, _Ozma_." The headmaster gripped his cane tightly as he met his student's suddenly blank gaze.

"What else have you been told?"

"Enough to know that I'm making the right descision. I want out," Jaune quickly flipped the Keyblade over, making the tip face him. "I'm not. Your. STUDENT!" The tip of the Keyblade glowed brightly as Pyrrha rushed to stopped him, tears running down her face as she abandoned her allies.

"I am tapping out of your whole war." The blade shot out a bright light that engulfed Jaune and blinded everyone else. When their vision cleared up, Jaune was gone, and the Keyblade was shattered as seven lights left it.

Pyrrha ignored the lights whiz by as they joined the Princessess of Heart, consumed too much in her own grief to even notice Ruby stirring. Goofy laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder as Yang cried on Ruby's shoulder while hugging her dear sister.

"I'm so sorry, Mr. Arc." The reincarnated wizard stared at the ground tiredly before allowing his mug to fall and shatter on the ground.

"Save your pity, old man." Everyone jumped at the appearance of the man with yellow eyes.

"The young man was definitely wasted on all of you from the little I've seen from him. A huge shame indeed, seeing such promise, and watching it leap into the abyss with no will or desire to leave it. You truly only have yourselves to bla-"

"Where's Jaune?" The tanned man with white hair snorted at Ruby's hazy question before casually holding back Ozpin with one hand.

"Where. Is. My. Student, **Ansem**." A frown was present on the Seeker's face as he pushed the old wizard back.

"He's not a Heartless, for he didn't give up his Heart. Jaune gave up his place in the realm of light for this declaration of war." Numerous Heartless of all shapes and sizes came into being as everyone else got ready to run. Ruby began to panic as she couldn't see Jaune anywhere.

"Jaune! Where are you!?" Ansem's eyes where closed as he crossed his arms.

"Darkness comes for all. Better be prepared for this massacre."

 **(End Song)**

 **1/20/20 AN: And here is the twist, whatever happens to Remnant's citizens will remain up in the air, for now.**

 **Let all our hearts be our guiding keys.**


	5. Pre-Chapter 5

**AN: Here we are everyone, the end of the prologue, and the official start to Going His Own Way. Here we go everyone!**

 **(Play: Kingdom Hearts 3 Full Ending Theme "Don't Think Twice.")**

I laid awake, staring at the endless darkness...

...or, was it that I dreamt of the dark abyss?

Regardless, I kept my eyes shut, content with allowing myself this small comfort. For once, in a long, long time, I was at peace.

"Are you alright down there?"

And nothing could ruin my victory.

...

"Why?" her voice croaked out, desperate for an answer to this little girl's most feverent desire. "Why did you abandon him? After everything?" Ruby Rose's eyes were wide open in shock, her stare accusing her friends of their betrayal. Those words cut through Pyrrha like heated knives as they fled from Hollow Bastion in the Gummy Ship.

 _Jaune's Gummy Ship_ , her mind whispered treacherously in the back of her head, driving the knives in deeper.

All the while, everybody remained ignorant of the troubling thoughts plaguing their old headmaster as he flew all of his disturbed students back to Disney Castle.

...

"Are you sure I can't change your mind?" A rueful simile spread out across the young man's face as he continued to drift. Diving furthur and further into the dark realm without a single ounce of concern.

"I'm sorry King, but I'm just so tired of everything. I've needed this rest for too long." The young king gathered himself to try one more time to help the lost soul.

"Jaune... If you sleep for too long th-"

"Thank you, for worrying about me. I'm grateful that I have at least you for a friend in this big, wide world of ours." Jaune continued to smile, regardless of how far he drew away from his new friend.

"And I, you." Mickey smiled saddly as he watched the young man fall further into the darkness.

...

"Is this what's left of the worlds taken by the Heartless?" Goofy looked troubled as Ruby kept staring straight at the purple light in the distance, ignoring her sister and ex-partner in the process.

"It'll go away once we beat Ansem. It has to." Pyrrha gazed forward, eager to find the Seeker of Darkness as much as Ruby.

"We're coming for you Jaune," a small tear slid down the Keyblade wielder's face as she started to move forth.

"We're gonna bring you ba-"

"Sorry to interrupt, " everyone's heads shot up to see Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness himself, floating in the sky, a massive, buff Heartless behind him.

"However, that won't happen." With a snap of his fingers, everything faded to black.

...

"What are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that."

Jaune was sitting down on a tree overlooking the endless sea, a slightly older woman wearing blue eyeing him curiously from his left.

"I came to enjoy the peace and maybe enjoy some sleep. You?" The white haired young man glanced at the woman while she took the moment to look at the horizon.

"I came to watch the sunset," a sad smile evident on her face as the setting sun dyed the beach orange. "I haven't been able to see the sun in a long time." Jaune chuckled for a moment, then sighed.

"I feel the same." Two pairs of blue eyes watched as the sun set on the consumed Destiny Islands.

 **(Song End)**

...

"Are we all ready?" Pyrrha watched as everybody finished their preparations for the next long stretch into the End of the World.

Weiss was finishing up on applying potions and elixirs to a banged up Yang and Qrow who had shown up once they'd returned to Disney Castle. Donald and Goofy were trying to talk to Ruby, who's been silent during the entirety of Ansem's assault in the Heartless world. She's been recklessly engaging enemies on her own until Goofy would back her up while Donald provided cover fire.

By the archway to their next destination was a heavily dishevelled Ozpin who had, on more than one occasion, been trying to get in touch with someone via a modified scroll between skirmishes. Pyrrha couldn't help but think about what had happened back at Hollow Bastion. A flare of pain shot up in her side as she remembered being blindsided once the Keyb-

"Let's get going," Ruby's small voice broke Pyrrha from her thoughts before they could turn dark.

"I believe that this will be the most daunting challenge any of us have ever faced, so please," Ozpin stared at his students gravely before turning to face the wide void.

"Please come back from this. Stronger than ever."

...

"So, what are you running from?" Jaune just kept staring at the setting sun, a look of serenity present on his ashen face.

"I believe that you're suppose to introduce yourself first, Ms?" The woman in question just rolled her eyes before turning to face the pale teenager.

"I am Aqua, and I'm not running away from anyone," she gave him a slight teasing smile that he returned gladly.

"Pleasure to meet you Aqua, I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Ladies love-" Jaune ran a hand through his snowy hair sheepishly for a brief second as Aqua laughed a little.

"Do they really?" Jaune groaned before laying down on the tree's trunk.

"Sorry about that. I'm just a royal mess at the moment."

...

After the first few minutes, Pyrrha thought that they weren't gonna make it. They had been sealed in a dark abyss with a huge demon sprouting out of a volcano. Things would've been over quick if Ozpin hadn't had Chip and Dale install a homing beacon into the Gummy Ship. Otherwise, everyone would've kept falling through the void forever.

Since Yang was a disaster at piloting, Ozpin himself had been using the controls to avoid the demon's attacks and firing back as well.

"Where the Hell did you learn to drive!" Qrow wasn't looking so good after the latest maneuver away from the demon's fire. A chuckle was the only answer the drunk received from his employer.

...

"What happened to you?"

"..."

Jaune and Aqua were laying down on the beach, just staring up at the darkening orange sky. They were still slightly happy with their brief respite from any further torment for the moment.

"Life happened, only times twenty, maybe, fifty if I'm being honest." Jaune shrugged as he listened to the soothing crashing of the waves nearby.

"Couldn't have been as bad as what happened to me." The older teen held up a brow for Jaune to try and refute her.

"Wanna bet?" He shot back with a tired grin on his face.

"I finished a trial that my best friend failed, I then proceeded to travel across the worlds to bring him and another friend of mine back. In doing so, I was forced to watch and correct the consequences that my first friend being lead down a dark path had on others, one of which was-" she choked up at this part, causing Jaune to sit up straight.

"You don't have to say another word," he pleaded with her, trying to get one of his few friends left to stop crying. He held her close to his chest and rocked them back and forth, doing his best to have her let it all out.

"It's alright. It's alright. Everything will be alright in the end."

...

"So, this is it?"

"Apparently." A big white door is all that stood between them and taking Remnant back. The two adults turned back to see Ozpin's students resting on opposite sides of the cavern. Weiss and Yang were passed out on the ground after the onslaught of Heartless that'd been waiting for them after the demon. Donald and Goofy weren't much better off, but still tried to talk to Ruby as she ran maintenance on Crescent Rose with her back turned to everyone. Pyrrha was giving a thousand yard stare to her reflection in a damaged Crocea Mors, tears dripping down her face.

"I had such high hopes for them all, but seeing them like this..." the old wizard didn't finish and opted to turn his back and instead, stare at the door.

"We can't proceed any furthur, for now."

...

 **(Play: Fate Grand Order- Eternity Blue)**

"So, that's how it is." The two wayward lights stared up at the night sky as the stars began to twinkle across the ether.

"Sadly, yes." Jaune gave the lost Master a sad smile that she returned. They continued to watch the light show as the Destiny Islands continued to shelter the two lost souls.

"I know that I had Mickey to talk with as we journeyed throughout the Darkness, but I really appreciate what we shared with each other." Jaune squeezed the hand in his grasp for a second in response before letting go.

"I know that it's gonna be Hell for you being alone again, but-" Jaune was starting to sink into the darkness as the Islands remained as they were. "-I want you to believe in that light in the depths of your heart that, no matter how long it takes, I'll be back. And then we'll be able to look at the stars together in the Realm of Light."

"Don't keep a girl waiting too long." The two departed from each other with fresh tears in their eyes.

...

"How about that." A figure in black watched from the Dark Realm as a female with cat ears followed after King Mickey in search of Kingdom Hearts' door.

"Without these events happening to them, the two boys are left powerless and empty, and their friend is stuck in the Final World. The Organization is gonna be left scratching their heads for a little bit at what to do." He continued to munch on his popcorn as the two wanderers left his vicinity.

"Now," he tossed the empty bag away. "Let's see how the prelude will end."

...

"I see you managed to wake yourself up long enough to see the sights." A familiar man in black stated as Jaune stared up at Kingdom Hearts in all its glory.

"Who are you." Jaune continued to stare as the man took his hood off and looked up at Kingdom Hearts as well.

"A paradox given form. A being that never had a Heart, or a Body, yet was given form some odd 30ish years ago. An empty existence who was shaped and formed in a desert by a childless God who found him." Jaune forced himself to not give into his curiosity, and continued to listen patiently to the Nobody.

"That God gave me a name, identity, and purpose, which was all taken away when the Heartless ate our world. Then, where else would I find myself, but on Remnant, as a newborn babe eighteen years ago." The two teens watched the Heartless move about the dark veins that made up the Dark Realm as they conversed.

"What is your name?" The shadows were beginning to steam off of Jaune's form again.

"You should know what your family called me. I was, literally, in your shoes up til a certain point. However, I still refer to myself as who my father took in all those years ago." Red eyes met blue as the older man held out a hand to his younger brother.

"Apophis," the True Nobody smiled at his brother, who shook his hand.

"I am..."

...

"Alright," a head of pale hair shook itself, before it's owner took off on a dead sprint down the street.

"I have an hour before they let out, so that means I have about fifty minutes to reach the other side of town before the streets are flooded with all of these young fools."

A teen of nineteen was weaving in and out of obstacles as he made his way forward under the afternoon sun. The rays of which reflected off of his pale skin as he started to sweat.

"Hurry up Jaune! Don't want them to run out of stock by the time the brats show up." The blue eyed foreigner jumped off the building to swing off of a lamp post before rolling onto the sidewalk, laughing the entire time as he continued to chase after the fading light.

 **(Song End)**

 **AN: How's that for a beginning folks! Jaune is now out and about, exploring worlds the only way he can for now, by sleeping. A million Twinkies goes to whoever can understand that. Now, I'm gonna get some sleep because I've been working on this since 2 am. Also, for those still wondering who Jaune's doppelganger, Apophis, is, he's an OC I dropped in a one-shot I made previously for a RWBY crossover, just for those eager for more details on him.**

 **May our hearts be our guiding keys**

 **1/21/20: Can't wait for the Remind DLC to come out!**


	6. Arc One OP

**AN: Well, as everyone can tell, it's March, which means the poll is now over! I honestly put this one world down because it just popped into my head. Seeing as how it has become the winner due to you guys, that means I'm gonna have to give it my best shot. Until I can get Chapter 1 finished here is a little something for you guys.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **(Play KH 2.8 Simple and Clean- Ray of Hope MIX)**

Issei was just walking with Asia and Rias to school the same as usual, enjoying the daily routine that had settled in for everyone since the fight between him and Raiser. Before they can reach Kuoh Academy, a small breeze blows a leaf past that draws Issei's attention to a man in black passing them by.

Time had deemed fit to stretch out as Jaune continued to sleep, drifting further and further into depths unheard of to any denizen of the light. Multiple flashes of light occur one after another as Jaune recalls the Heartless taking Remnant, Weiss and Yang abandoning him, fighting against Pyrrha and the Keyblade, and, lastly, his promise with Aqua.

One final flash of kalidescopic light leaves Jaune standing on a rooftop overlooking a small town, wearing the same attire he last fought Pyrrha in. Before he could leave to take a better look around town, a black feather catches his eye. As he catches it, a group of fallen angels in ordinary clothes could be seen observing Kuoh Academy, reporting back to Kokabiel of the devils' movements as Azazel watches them from his little shack, in plain sight of anyone looking, with a smirking Vali at his side.

Jaune races throughout the whole town, increasingly growing more and more worried as nobody greets his sight with Kuoh beginning to drown in a sea of tainted light. Just as all seems lost, he notices the charms symbolizing his bonds across the worlds with everybody glowing. Stealing a glare up above, Jaune shatters the sky before attacking the Fallen Star of God with a long Soul Eater, Mushu, and Simba by his side.

Black and white clash in the sky as Issei watches on alongside his friends in amazement as the battle between the Angels grows in ferocity before Jaune unleashes Super Nova. Everything rushes by in an instant as an unknown female is seen struggling to hang onto anything as a dark abyss closes in on her.

The man in black watches on as Jaune reaches out to take her hand at the last second before snapping his fingers.

 **GOING HIS OWN WAY**

 **(End Song)**

 **AN: May our Hearts be our Guiding Keys**


	7. Chapter 1

Chapter **1: Rainfall**

I hated the morning sun enough to contemplate destroying it for the fifth time this week as I did my best to ignore its merciless rays.

 _ **RINGRINGRINGRINGRING!**_

"Damn it," I rose up from my comfy bed as the alarm rang out. As I headed to the bathroom to begin the day a new, I snatched up my hairbrush to work on my long green hair.

"I wish Cinder was here."

...

"Just because of our brief dip into the Darkness doesn't mean that the plan has changed," Cinder explained as we continued down the same path that we had been following for several hours.

Just when the goody-goodies had managed to make some headway into the Heartless's amalgamation of a world, they had decided to retreat. Unfortunately, they were our only ticket to reach the Dark Seeker and, hopefully, Kingdom Hearts. Without them, or a Keyblade of our own, we were forced to find an alternative path to reach Ansem.

"Without Kingdom Hearts, or a solid path to reach this 'Ansem' guy, how are we gonna reach Salem, oh glorious leader of ours?" Merc continued to walk on without a single care in the world as I was about to swing on the bastard for his attitude when _he_ showed up.

"While this discussion is quite amusing-," we all spun around to face a man taller than Cinder wearing an all black ensemble.

"-the Organization has no use for imbeciles and runts."

 _ **SNAP!**_

...

"Thank you, please come again..."

 _ **BRING!**_

"..." I kept the pleasant smile on my face, doing my utmost to not react this early in the morning shift. Thinking about Merc losing a game of poker to a Shadow Heartless helped keep my mood up for a mo-

Bang. Bang. BANG!

The mood is now, completely ruined.

"Fucking assholes!" I kept my voice down to avoid alarming the odd couple of people who'd shown up to stock up on snacks.

Why did I have to come to work today, especially if my boss was gonna "go to town" all shift?!

"Oh wait, overtime pay," I groaned out. Unfortunately for me, this was one of those worlds that didn't except munny, nor lien. So, left with no choice but to run multiple scams and work part time at this convenience store to pay the land lady, I had to suffer hearing my boss plow his sow every other work day.

"You can't be done yet, we've only started!" The banging on the wall started to pick up as round 2 started up, again.

"Why couldn't he have a safe that I could just break into?" Damn my shitty luck and heightened senses!

...

"How long?"

Thank God for school... ugh.

"Six. Hours." Koko's silence was welcoming as I laid still on my desk, tired despite having a couple more hours to go.

"Damn!" The brunette whistled before turning back to her bento. "Why do you still work at that store?"

Because the fatty doesn't keep any of the store's profits in the building for me to swipe.

"Because I have rent to pay." Also because those black winged bastards have been on my ass whenever I use my Semblance more than twice a day since I'd step foot in this world.

Fucking black hooded shit, I pray that I'm the one who gets to gut you in the end, I silently seethed for a moment.

"That sucks," Koko groaned before giggling for some reason. I tilted my head up to spot Yuuto Kiba, a fellow second year, pass by the classroom before a swarm of his fangirls chased after the blond.

I scoffed before turning around to stare out the window, eager to think about anything else.

"Fucking pretty boys," I muttered as the infamous "Perverted Trio" ran screaming bloody murder as the Kendo Club gained on them. A small smirk graced my face for once.

"Good. My show just came on."

...

I watched, dumbfounded, as the perverted idiot, one Issei Hyoudou, gets dragged off by my senior, Akeno Himejima, to parts unknown.

"What the fuck?" Koko didn't look surprised in the slightest, and just sighed in disappointment.

"I understand your reaction, Hell, I can scarcely believe it myself either. Somehow the perverted moron became a part of the same club as the Two Great Ladies, the Prince, and Mascot of Kuoh." I couldn't keep the twitch from my left eye after hearing all of those idiotic names, again. The only way it could've been worse was i-. Wait a moment.

"What is the name of that club again? I've only been here for a couple of days Koko." Please let me be wrong with my suspicion.

"Oh, right. The Occult Research Club, or ORC for short."

"..." Great. Everyone there has to have powers of some kind or other bullshit. This whole world reeks of something Merc would watch due to all of the girls.

"Shit."

...

"I'm gonna slaughter that prick in the black hood for tossing me into an anime world!" I kicked a trash can as I passed by on my way back to the apartment.

"Not only for it being an anime world," I chunked an empty wallet behind me as I continued to rant. "But for it being an anime world that only perverts can enjoy with superpowers being handed out like candy!"

That's when it started to rain cats and dogs.

"Also, FUCK YOU FOR LEAVING ME HERE ON MY OWN!" I roared out before leaving an indent of my fist in a brick wall before moving on.

...

"So far, not too good." I tossed another credit card into the fire.

"-VING ME HERE ON MY OWN!" a female voice rang out.

"That wasn't very nice." I tossed the remaining trinkets I'd acquired in Norway into a shimmer in the air before dropping, quietly, onto the ground below.

"If someone takes offence to a woman, then they should drop them off at home, not in the middle of an alley." I scoffed as I made my way to the lost soul.

"Its what any decent gentleman should do."

...

"Definite bullshit here." I whispered to myself as Kiba fought against the crazy priest wannabe at speeds beyond the average human capacity. Which meant-

"I'm stuck in a damn ecchi anime," I cursed before backing away from the two swordsmen continuing to clash, only to roll backwards away from a light spear that occupied where my head should've been.

"You've been a pain in my ass ever since we picked up on your magic signature, _Greeny_!" I ducked around a different corner to dodge another light spear as my attacker set foot in the alley to pursue me.

"Piss off Crow Man!" I ran away while spraying the alley with magic bullets from my gun as sneaking past wouldn't have worked. Another light spear was thrown that almost impaled my left leg, but instead grazed it.

"Shit!" I rolled onto my back before aiming both guns at the space behind me since I'd been herded towards a dead end.

 **(Play: Bring Me To Life - Evanescence)**

"Oh look!" I rolled over to evade another spear before returning fire on the winged Bastard approching slowly on my location.

"The Humie knows her proper place better than those filthy Devils whose presence demean this town further than your kind." This blond asshole was one of the few chickens that kept chasing me around ever since I was tossed into this dump.

As the prick kept laughing his head off, I continued to pepper his form with condensed magic bullets, which, unfortunately, didn't do much as his wings prevented them from reaching that smug face of his.

"I think I'll take my time before strangling you. Yes, I've been aching for a good run in the sheets for awhile. I like them fies-"

"Sorry, but I don't think the lady would enjoy your, _invitation_ , in the slightest." A pale hand clamped down on the Crow's leather coat before tossing said prick into a brick wall.

I looked up into the rain to see a head of white hair face me for a moment before advancing on the Crow. I scrambled up onto my feet in time to watch the guy catch the prick's light spear before embedding it in the Crow's right leg.

"That's completely unacceptable." I watched my, "savior," whale on the feathered prick as the rain continued to drench his tall form. He was pale, wore a set of jeans, and a black overcoat.

"You! Don't! Harm! Innocent! Women!" With each shout, the teenager beat the Crow further and further into the ground as I felt a little warm under my collar.

Oh shit. I may be a little sadistic, but why is watching this getting me so worked up?

"...mother fucker." He spat out before taking the coat from the still warm corpse. I still hadn't moved one step from my spot as he started to come towards me. In doing so, I received a generous view of his modest six pack from his partially open shirt.

Seriously?! What is this horny bullshit!?

Before I could bring myself under control, he settled the coat around my wet form as I got a good look at his face. Red met blue as the rain froze for a second.

Why does your face look so familiar?

"Are you alright?" The feeling left as the rain resumed its course. I shivered involuntarily as his gaze swept my drenched form that was highlighted from my wet uniform.

"I recommend you get home quickly miss."

He then gave me a small, genuine smile before disappearing back into the alley.

"... Oh damn." I walked back to my apartment without further incident as I replayed my savior's features over and over again in an attempt to remember where I had seen him before. By the time I'd reached my room, my mind was starting to devise a few methods to track down the latest mystery that'd been placed right before me.

As I fell asleep on my bed in my warm PJ's, his pale face and blue eyes where what haunted my confusing, hot dreams.

 **(Song End)**

...

"Well, that went well." I walked on the edge of a bridge as the rain let up a little.

"Two months since I woke up in this world. Two months of no reminder of Remnant. Two months of learning at my leisure." I stared up at the cloudy sky as the Moon's rays started to break through.

"Then I find you, of all people, here. You showing up means things are a foot lady. Whether they end up for the better or not is up to you." I dropped off the bridge only to skim the surface as I flew up into the night.

"Hope you give good old Jaune a decent show, Emerald. "

 **AN: Welcome to the official first chapter to Going His Own Way! Jaune may end up shaking things up in this perverts' paradise before hitting the road, but will still provide entertainment that will leave you wanting more! I hope.**

 **May Our Hearts be Our Guiding Keys**

 **2/5/2020: Still going about my way of tidying up here and there, later.**


	8. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Interested**

"Please come again!" Barely avoiding making a yawn in response, Jaune sipped his hot chocolate as he made his way out of the store and slipped through the morning crowd.

 _Granted, not much of a crowd in a small town like Kuoh with school going on, but still._

Jaune just shrugged at the random thought and continued on his merry way, ignoring all the small talk around him in doing so.

"Where, oh where, does one go to find a murder of crows this early in the morning?" He mused out loud to himself as he wandered around town.

...

 _"There you are!"_

 _Jaune whirled around, Soul Eater drawn as he prepared for anything this new world could throw at him._

 _"Up here Vomit Boy!" A piece of popcorn bounced off of Jaune's nose as he looked up to see a man wearing the same cloak as Apophis on a bridge. Upon jumping up onto the bridge, the man raised a bag of popcorn to the world traveler._

 _"Want some V.M?" Jaune scowled before snatching the bag and practically inhaled whatever popcorn remained inside. Doing nothing but sleeping can cause a man to have quite the appetite upon awaking after all._

 _"No... Vomit Boy... Who... you?" The guy just shrugged before looking across the bridge at the setting sun._

 _"Alright, just wanted to say it once, manly out of boredom. As to your question-" Jaune had swallowed the rest of the popcorn at this point and had set the bag on fire before scattering the ashes._

 _"-can't spoil that this early, I'm technically not even HERE. Good luck by the way." A Corridor of Darkness sprang up around the figure before disappearing in an instant._

 _"Not even gonna leave me a ride? Just my luck." Jaune groaned out as the day turned to night._

...

"Damn, girls have no sense of decency in this world," Jaune remarked as the ruby was turned over in his hand for further examination. "I mean, weren't those suppose to be priestesses of the Catholic Faith? If so-" The ruby was returned to the pocket dimension Jaune had picked up for storing away unnecessary items when he was traveling all over the worlds in search of Ruby. Then, both of his hands clenched into fists before he screamed in the abandoned Church.

"-Why the Hell were they wearing those black, skin tight, unitards?!"

...

"Xenovia?" One hooded figure asked another taller one.

"You too Irina?" the teenager responded. A moment ago, the two had felt a shiver go down their spines as if someone had called out the Church on the battle atire of all of the female members.

"Oh God, please help the poor soul see the practicality of our atire."

Brief interruption over with, the two women continued on their path towards Kuoh Academy.

...

"Seriously! This is so unbelievable!" Jaune had not only been continuing his rant in the old building for about 3 hours, but had also thrown out his opinions on the other faiths and organizations he's encountered over the months.

"Why would practioners and students of magic offer up their underwear to see Soul Eater?!" Not even once noticing- "Those Huntresses had the excuse of being out in the middle of the woods, but at least get your priorities straight on killing me with your clothes on!" -how envious of a position- "The Yokai were alright until the buildings were red. Then it grew to be like those adult videos my sisters would put on when I was trying to sleep!" -he was in- "The less I say about the Norse! the fucking better!" -to the Govenor of the Gregori who had been watching him complain out loud for about an hour.

"Damn. You are really wound up." Not even missing a beat, Jaune whirled on the Fallen Angel, face still red with fury at the ridiculousness of this world.

"Don't get started with me Bird Brain!"

...

"..." Red eyes starred up at the cloudy sky as the bell rang for lunch.

"Earth to Emerald?" Lost in complete thought, Emerald ignored everything around her as she continued to wrap her mind around the puzzle that had dropped by the other day.

 _SNAP SNAP SNAP_

Jogged out of her thought process, the thief turned to face her green-eyed classmate.

"Sorry. What's up." Koko eyed her for a second before pointing at the clock.

"Let's go grab lunch. You've been spacing out enough that you should get something in your system." Nodding at her friend's suggestion, Emerald got up to follow Koko out, just missing the sight of a woman staring at the school from across the street.

...

"What kind of leader pays someone else to do their job?" Jaune sighed as he tailed a brunette teenaged boy with his white haired junior, who were currently talking to a couple of people in hoods begging for change.

...

"..."

"..."

All was silent as Jaune just stared at the Fallen Angel, Azazel, after he finished explaining what he wanted him to do.

"Nope." Jaune leapt out of a hole in the wall and started to fast walk away from the Governor. Unfortunately, the perverted genius was determined.

"I can pay you!" Jaune just kept walking as the Fallen Angel jogged to catch up.

"Not interested."

"Contacts."

"Can make my own."

"Women."

"Pass."

"Men?" Jaune stopped in the middle of an empty park, then slowly turned to face Azazel, Soul Eater in hand and a dark gleam in his eyes.

"Say that again and I'll cut off your dick."

...

"Pay better be worth it if this doesn't pan out," he muttered before taking a sip of his water.

Jaune kept observing the teenagers as they discussed plans of some sort that involved baiting someone. He kept his back to them at all times and paid attention to his meal in order to keep his cover, not like the others.

A familiar head of green hair had turned his way several times as her brown haired friend kept trying to chat with her about school. A pair of violet eyes under a baseball cap did a better job of being discreet as he/she talked often with a boy of about 8 about whatever, but both their eyes never left the group for long.

A small smile crept up on Jaune's face once the word, "Excalibur," reached him.

"Now what were you doing here Merlin?"

Things had just become a bit more interesting.

 **AN: Work has been a drag and my head has been swimming with tons of ideas for things not related to this story. Regardless, I will continue writing as things start clearing up.**

 **May Our Hearts be Our Guiding Keys**

 **2/5/2020: I'm proud to say that I am done with editing**


	9. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3** **: Memorial Flight**

Ever since he was small, Jaune was fascinated with the tales of old. Favorite stories of those his age had been mostly of Huntsmen, great battles fought in the Great War, and the Maidens of the Seasons. Jaune's, however, had been much more simple than that. He dreamed of knights, princesses, dragons, and sorcerers. However, as he grew older, Jaune slowly lost, bit by bit, his fascination with these old tales. By the time he reached Beacon, only one aspect of his childhood dreams continued to bewitch and ensnare his mind.

Magic

...

"What are they hoping this will accomplish?" Jaune watched from his perch up in a bell tower as a blond Devil from Kuoh Academy, now disguised as a clergyman, patrolled one side of town along with two female Exorcists. Another three teenaged Devils were also on the lookout for someone on the other side of Kuoh. Most likely the serial killer who had been targeting men of the cloth. Well, at least that was the purpose Jaune arrived to as the reason why four Devils would dress up as members of the Church.

"Not like I could do any better under these circumstances."

"With what?" Jaune didn't bother to turn around as a small, red reptilian head popped up on his head.

"Tracking a psychopathic swordsman, who also use to be a man of God."

"Really?" the small dragon snorted before jumping off of Jaune to stand on the railing.

"Based off of what we've seen here so far, you'd have already sent the poor smuck running and we'd be out cracking a cold one in a bar right now."

To ensure he wouldn't become too isolated from his fellow man, Jaune had been calling up his summons to either have someone along for this crazy world of a ride, or to just pass the time. Genie was always up for globetrotting, Bambi loved it when they came across a huge park called "Yellowstone," Dumbo enjoyed watching a traveling troupe they'd happened upon in France, and Tinker Bell, well, generally liked screwing with anyone, including Jaune.

Not a bad idea, Jaune mused to himself for a moment before noticing that the unlikely trio was racing back across town in a hurry.

"Come on Mushu," a familiar head of green was spotted in pursuit of the three as the dragon kept a grip on Jaune as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop.

"We got a paycheck to earn!"

...

 **(Play: Kingdom Hearts 2 Sinister Shadows)**

"This world is so... weird." Emerald watched as her fellow classmates encouraged each other while they fought the bat shit crazy Priest wannabe with a fast sword.

"I'm so done with living here." Emerald dragged a hand down her face before sighing.

"You're certainly preaching to the choir here sister." The former thief quickly spun on her heel and aimed both of her guns at the face of an eight year old. Said kid had a huge smile on his face, even with him staring down the barrels of two mechshift pistols.

 _ **BANG!**_

With the little boy's attention diverted, Emerald booked it before anything weirder could happen. Which, as luck would have it, enabled her to evade the notice of the company of Fallen Angels sent by the order of Kokabiel to ensure the retrieval of the remaining Excalibur shards.

"Hello my fellow avians!" The group starred down at the young man that'd appeared after the flashbang wore off in the alley. The remaining Devils immediately readied themselves for combat upon the revelation of the Fallen Heavenly Host waiting in the wings. Said Fallen then brought out their light spears en mass as soon as the sigils of the Gremory and Sitri Houses flared into existence.

 _ **SNAP! FWOOSH!**_

Before anyone could move, a vortex of wind appeared in the Fallen ranks as soon as the pale teenager snapped his fingers.

"Hope you like your chickens extra crispy. MUSHU!" The dragon immediately sprang off of his head and ran towards the vortex before stopping.

"I'M ON FIRE!"

Then everything turned white as the flames engulfed everything.

 **(Song end)**

 **2/6/2020: Yeah I know it's been awhile since I've updated this, but I haven't been having much luck lately with properly structuring all of the things that go on in my head. Add work into the mix and there isn't much I can really do. I hope you guys enjoy what I can get out, when I get it out, and if you guys think you can do better with the premise, then be my guest. I would more then love to read what you guys can make. Anyway-**

 **Let your heart be your guiding key.**


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